LAW AND DEMOCRACY.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1974, 3 February 1914, Page 6

LAW AND DEMOCRACY.

In the coarsß of his charge to the Grjind Jury at the Suprernc Court yesterday the Chief Justio; (Sin BoßEnt Sibtk) niftcic some interesting remarks on. Obeijience to law in. a democratic community life New Zealand. , He pointed out that the people have made the laws, and ate bound by the laws they have madeIt is tho law of the pooplo themselVv'a, and not the oppressive decrees *•£ aoine foreign tyrandy. "If our laws. are not ■obeyed," ha said, "wo cease to he a civilised people, and go back fo 4 the days when violence ruied and might was right." This-gimple anj lucid explanation of the positio.n is very opportune. . B«c6ftt evoats in New Zealand, South Africa, and elsewhere baye sljoW that some people ate, inclined to. regard tho lfciv of the latid as sbmething to be hated, and even flouted, bat for tho fear of jjunjshment. It is, of course, iind it ought to be, a "tkttQt to evildoers," but it is a protection to. every weU-disposed. person in living a, free and full life, provided he does hot eiaeroach upcm the legiii-matis i-%hts and liberties of his ielfows, Lii,w is flfit tho cfiejftjr of true freedom; it is the guarantee of liberty, and withdut it Society ecruld not hold together. Iα a demoeratic country it is. the result of- the 'free expression of the people's will in the sphere of legisktiori'. Ahafchy is the worst forni p:f tyranny, and would mean, a .reversion to a state oi harbarisiM, in which the wejiik Would be remorselessly crushed by the strong, .and would, have no redress, ihedesjre for justice and fair-deal-ing,, which finds a place in f;hfc heart of:every- man weri'thy- of the name, can only be realised through a system of just laws;- and it tj -utterly iacensistent for a man to profess to believe, in democratic Qoverftment an-d at the sttine timo despise ; the laws 'Which tlio peoplo thoinsolveshave made through their representa-'tiv-os- in .Parliament'. Lawlessness is absalutciy intolorahle and .inexeiis- , .able.in a Eelf-KOvferning-, demo&r.atie contitr-y Hie Now Zcaiaiid, where legislation that proves oppressive ca-fi be amended '-b.y Constitutional methods, TB titnely remarks of tte-Chief Just.ieo should b.c carti-u-lly pondered by those- people tfhp sometimes talk" as thoiigb they-regarded the law of the land as ; an instruraeiit ■oi oppression in the hand of some aKett-ty-faoti -.The Statute Book i.s one. of (he most .difeet and ..practical results of tho great principle of government of the people, by the people, for the people in aettial operatiotti